"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results"

The first time Edison tried to create the light bulb, he failed. After making several changes, he tried again and failed. What made Edison different from most people is that he kept at it and after about 998 more attempts, he successfully created the very first light bulb. Edison’s persistence, drive, and determination changed our world forever.

Successful people never give up. They take focused action to see what works (or what doesn’t work) and then based upon the results, they make changes and try again. Over time, these people get successful results.

When asked about his unsuccessful inventions, Edison replied, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Thought for the day– There is no substitute for hard work. Just like Edison, the harder you work, the more successful you get!

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing"

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. Many people believe he was one of the greatest leaders in American history.

One of the main reasons Lincoln was able to achieve his goals (and probably his dreams) was that on a daily basis, he made a focused effort to do what needed to be done to achieve his short and long-term goals. In his mind, there was no such thing as failure, only undesirable results. Bottom line, Lincoln never gave up!

What most people are not aware of is the fact that Lincoln…

Failed in business at age 21.
Was defeated in a legislative race at age 22.
Failed again in business at age 24.
Overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26.
Had a nervous breakdown at age 27.
Lost a congressional race at age 34.
Lost a congressional race at age 36.
Lost a senatorial race at age 45.
Failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47.
Lost a senatorial race at age 47.
Was elected PRESIDENT of the US at age 52!

While many people might give up after one or two “failures”, Lincoln learned from his mistakes and pushed forward to the next day. How would you react to these outcomes? If you were in Lincoln’s shoes and failed in business and lost an election at 21 and 22, would you stay focused and continue to work towards achieving your goals for the next 30 years?

One of the main lessons to learn from all of the “challenges” that Lincoln faced during his lifetime is that in order to reach your goals and be successful, you must NEVER GIVE UP!

Thought for the day– You don’t have to fail and become President in order to be successful in life!